Country Living Series

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Toxic pride

If there's one Seven Deadly Sin from which I have never suffered, I have to say it's pride.

Oh sure, I'm proud of many things – how our girls turned out, how much Don and I have accomplished in our business and on our farm, that kind of thing – but I am not a proud person. Or does saying that smack of pride?

The author covers such helpful advice as "Stop telling yourself a story – there is no grand narrative. When you achieve any sort of success you might think that success in the future is just the natural and expected next part of the story. This is a straightforward path to failure – by getting too cocky and overconfident" and "Forget credit and recognition. … Submit under people who are already successful and learn and absorb everything you can. Forget credit." He also recommends "Getting out of your own head" and "Letting go of control."

I had no objection to any of the 25 pieces of advice this author upheld – it's fairly sensible stuff – but it also reinforced how little I care about ego. I have many other sins which elbow that one out of the way.

I think this lack of pride and ego is one of the reasons I don't understand the lust for power. It's often jaw-dropping to watch politicians in action: the need to build themselves up by tearing everyone else down, the constant bragging about all the stellar accomplishments they've achieved while in office (which usually means our personal freedoms have been further curtailed as a result), the pseudo-modest recitation of their flawless private lives.

So yeah, I have a lot of other sins to work on, but pride isn't one of them.

Except for the garden. I'm pretty proud of that.

I just don't think I'm "toxically" proud, nor do I think it will "ruin my life." Phew.

12 comments:

In a sermon a week ago our pastor mentioned pride, and defined it in a way I found really helpful. There's pride as the opposite of humility - the "bad" pride. Then there's pride as the opposite of shame - the "good" pride.

Pride is misunderstood today. One should be proud of personal accomplishments, knowing and acknowledging that they were accomplished using God’s blessings. For example, giving thanks to God for his blessings of one’s ability to compose, compute, rationalize, and memorize.

Secondly, if I had to describe in one word the cause of this country’s fall from grace it would ‘pride’.

Do you remember Lesley Stahl (CBS 60 minutes) on U.S. sanctions against Iraq: We have heard that a half million children have died. I mean, that’s more children than died in Hiroshima. And, you know, is the price worth it?

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright: I think this is a very hard choice, but the price–we think the price is worth it. That was 22 years ago.

Just 48 hours ago: Trumps’ war cabinet Secretary of Defense James Mattis stated, “Iran Can Never Acquire a Nuclear Weapon”. What gives the U.S. the moral authority to determine what weapons other nations can and cannot have for their own defense? Honestly, who do we think we are? Millions more children will die by US bombs. I ask you, ‘Do you think the price is worth it?’ That is NOT a rhetorical question.

Take a look at our last 5 Presidents (since Reagan, and yes including Trump). Now tell me that this once-blessed nation is not now God-forsaken. The US under these Presidents (and Congresses) has murdered, maimed and displaced more innocent people than all other nations combined.

If we aren't a war machine in progress at all times, we can not support the dug-in contractors that lead to the wealthiest in good old USA.

...Not to mention...IRAN, Syria, Iraq, Libya and more have threatened to get off the dollar. See a connection? Trump can't have that (even though Iran has not wavered from their agreement.)

The pentagon is finally being audited. They have "misplace" or "embezzled" 6.5 trillion dollars in their budget alone this year. Check it out. No one wants to talk about it. We are being so bamboozled! J.

If I say "I'm humble", am I proud ??? Oh, goodness, what a conumdrum!! Well I don't know how to spell "conumdrun" so I am not proud!! Thanks for not being afraid to tackle the BIG issues, Patrice. You always do a great job! Nothing wrong with being thoughtful and thought-provoking!

Using people and loving things? Or loving people and using things? I think pride comes in when someone thinks themselves better than someone else for_____(reason). God loves each one of us as if there were only one human to love. So why be proud? I cannot cause my own heart to beat. I can do nothing on my own... It is HE who causes me to be and for Him shall I live and to Him be all praise and glory forever.